Explore the world of a New Yorker who moved from a tiny cubicle to the world of pet portraits and illustration in New Hampshire. It IS possible to become an artist when you grow up. Follow me on my journey...

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About Me

Raised in rural NH, I grew up with trees and mountains as my playground. In 1997, I began my illustration studies at Syracuse University and graduated in 2001. I married my husband, Tom, in 2004. Together, we raise a dog and a cat.

Monday, April 14, 2008

My new studio is a bit unconventional. I work on an antique table with a wrought iron base and a set of chairs with mustard/golden colored cushions. The chairs have seen better days, but it's good to work on worn furniture since my pastels tend to cling to the wood.

My cat could care less about the distress of my chairs. To her, the fluffy golden cushions provide the perfect napping place in the sun. Rays of warm sunlight filter through my studio windows every afternoon. Any toasty spot entices my kitty. I snapped the reference photo for this piece while she was napping on a studio chair and tried to imagine the images floating through her head. She looked so content, she must have finally caught a mouse or her bird toy.

This piece is 11x14" in size and drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum paper. With luck, I will manage to cover the piece with tracing paper for protection before my cat decides to nap on the drawing. She has been known to nap on drawings of herself. The drawings of other animals don't intrigue her as much as her own portraits. I'm not sure if all of this artistic attention is going to her head. Or... Maybe I just have an active imagination. It's probably both.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

There are times when nothing is more soothing than a pile of pillows and a stuffed animal. The portrait above shows how my beloved furball, Sasha, finds comfort. If Sasha is looking to blow off some steam, she'll jump on our futon and chew on her stuffed goose. I think she enjoys the stacks of cushions on the futon and the furry texture of her goose toy. Furry toys are pretty much the only toys, besides rodents, that she enjoys playing with.

I thought it would be cute to take a picture of Sash with a stuffed toy in her mouth. This portrait is a bit different then many of my portraits, since I set up the scene. I lured Sash onto the futon with her goose toy and snapped away as she chewed on the faux fur. Yum.

The background was created in my imagination. I didn't like the cushions that were in the reference photo, so I drew some sari-like cushions in the background. I thought that a little color would spice the portrait up.

The portrait is 11x14" in size and is drawn with soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. I used a kneaded eraser for blending and texture. The kneaded eraser is excellent for creating stuffed animal fur texture. Hope that you enjoy this new piece.